Bosa of York

Our father among the saintsBosa of York was the bishop of York in the kingdom of Northumbria during periods of 678 to 687 and 691 to 705. The years of Bosa's episcopates were filled with conflicts: that of the Celtic party against those who supported Roman practices and establishment of an ecclesiastical organization of dioceses as well as among the ruling dynasties. He supported the Celtic party. His feast day is March 9.

Life

Nothing is known of the birth or early life of Bosa. He was a Northumbrian who was educated at the Abbey of Whitby under St. Hilda, the Abbess of Whitby. Bosa, later, joined the brethren at the abbey as a monk and became a noted scholar. Following the expulsion of Wilfrid by King Egfrith from the large bishopric of Northumbria, Bosa was consecrated as Bishop of York to a smaller see, with Hexham and Lindsey being divided off. His episcopate lasted nine years, until 687, as Wilfrid came back into favor with the help of Theodore, the archbishop of Canterbury. Bp. Bosa was removed just as had his predecessor. However, Bp. Wilfrid led the see for only four years before he again was expelled. Bp. Bosa, thus, returned once more to the see of York in 691.

Bp. Bosa reposed on March 9, 705. St. Bosa was praised by the Venerable Bede in the following words: 'A man beloved of God...of most unusual merit and holiness'. His veneration as a saint appeared as early as the eighth century in a liturgical calendar from York.